1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a container device for the collection of pet waste and other noxous materials.
2. Description of Prior Art
A primary application of this invention is the collection of dog waste. It is estimated that in the United States there are more than 50 million dogs, that produce more than 5 thousand tons of waste per day. Most major municipalities have pet waste laws ("scooper laws") in an attempt to alleviate some of this problem. Unfortunately, no product exists that allows pet owners to conveniently, effectively, and efficiently clean-up after their pet (e.g., their dog). All devices designed heretofore to address this problem are ineffective and inconvenient to use.
Collecting devices such as Marvin U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,121 (1974), and scooping devices such as Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,467 (1974) and Bagg U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,565 (1988), are too large to conveniently fit into one's pocket and require hand carrying. These scoop devices have no way to compensate for the movement of waste and are awkward to use when the waste is in more than one mass. These collecting devices are ineffective when the waste (or stool) is loose and are awkward to use when the waste is in more than one mass, requiring the compiling of said waste in order to collect it.
the scooping device of Dahlke U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,696 (1974) has a very limited capacity and is very difficult and messy to use when the waste is of significant volume.
Glove or glove-like devices such as Jacobs U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,251 (1987), Hayes U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,697 (1987), and Kolie U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,818 (1988) are inconvenient because they expose the user to the texture and sometimes the temperature of the waste. These glove and glove-like devices: 1) restrict the volume of waste that can be picked up to the size of the user's hands, 2) require the user to combine waste that is deposited in several locations in order to pick-up the entire mass, and 3) are difficult to use when waste is loose.
A waste collecting device that is on the market ("DISPOS-A-SCOOP") is also a scooping device. It suffers from a large fixed profile that requires hand carrying. It has a relatively small opening that will not accommodate some waste configurations. Used as instructed, the outside of the container becomes contaminated and it provides no means for compensating for waste movement.
"Scoop-It" is another scooping device that is on the market. It is a large molded plastic apparatus which is covered with a flexible plastic sleeve to keep it clean and capture the waste. It is inconvenient to carry and difficult to use when the waste is loose or in several masses.